


Dancing in the Dark

by hosiesdoormat



Category: Legacies (TV 2018)
Genre: Dreams, F/F, It's probably canon, Josie has a huge crush on Hope, Sexual Tension
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-08
Updated: 2020-07-08
Packaged: 2021-02-23 00:30:14
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 19,031
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23536174
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hosiesdoormat/pseuds/hosiesdoormat
Summary: "You were having a sex dream. Please tell me it wasn't Landon. Or Hope for that matter"
Relationships: Hope Mikaelson/Josie Saltzman
Comments: 195
Kudos: 1036





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> writers block is keeping me from updating my other fic, so enjoy this steamy hosie one shot!

_"Hope? What are you doing here?"_

_Josie tries to get the sentence out nonchalantly, but her voice betrays her and a panicked tone escapes her throat instead. Her brown eyes are wide, confusion laced in her pupils at her crush's sudden intrusion. What could Hope Mikaelson possibly want from her this late at night?_

_She watches as Hope carefully closes the bedroom door behind her before taking small and slow steps towards the younger girl, stalking her like prey. Her gaze was sharp and intimidating, and Josie found it incredibly sexy._

_Hope is the lion and she is the lamb, and although she would never admit it out loud, Josie would_ gladly _allow the other girl to devour her._

_The tribrid's eyes are now dark and wild and hungry, scanning every inch of the brunette's body. Each step she takes causes Josie's heart to beat faster and faster._

_"I had to see you..." she responds nearly in a whisper, eyes now glued to the younger girl's lips as if in a trance._

_Josie feels frozen and her body goes numb. She figures the older girl may be in some kind of trouble or in need of assistance for a spell, but why would she be looking at her with so much_ lust _in her eyes?_

_Somehow, Josie finds the courage to scoot forward to the edge of her bed, moving closer to her late night visitor. She allows herself to ride the magnetic pull that is bringing both girls together, now feeling the rapid pounding in her chest in her throat. The oversized t-shirt she wore to bed hikes up her thighs from her movement, and she swears that she sees Hope's eyes flicker gold at the newly exposed skin._

_"Why?" the brunette asks softly with scrunched eyebrows. She's now sitting at the edge of the bed, looking up at Hope with doe eyes. The usual blue orbs are now black, and the look in her eyes instantly sends a chill down Josie's spine and sets her body on fire._

_"Are you okay?" the witch asks when the older girl doesn't give her an answer._

_Hope leans down and rests one arm on the bed right beside Josie's thigh, causing the bed to dip. Her other hand slides from the exposed skin on her collarbone to around her neck, lightly choking the younger girl, their lips brushing._

_"I just can't resist you anymore Josie," she responds in a low voice, nearly whispering._

_Josie gasps softly and nearly_ faints, _feeling_ _sickly turned on by the other girl's touch. She feels pathetic for getting so worked up over Hope's small actions. The younger girl unintentionally spreads her legs, and Hope takes the opportunity to grind their hips together._

_"Mmm," Josie moans in satisfaction, muffling the sound with her own lips. She nearly moans_ _even_ louder _,_ _but she doesn't want Hope to know how insanely horny she's making her. The girl bites her bottom lip instead and clamps her eyes shut, silently giving the older girl complete control over her._

_"H-hope–" she pants. Their lips are now barely touching, and she_ knows _that Hope can feel the moisture between her legs. Her core is exploding with electricity and all she wants to do is declare her love and devotion to the tribrid, giving the girl her mind, body, and fucking_ soul _. She wants her lips to claim her own, lips that she has been dreaming of since she was 12._

_"What's wrong, Jo?" the tribrid says tauntingly, as if she knows exactly what she's doing to the younger girl. She smirks slyly when she feels Josie squirming under her, trying to build friction between their hips. She brings her lips an inch away from the brunette's and in return, Josie leans forward to catch them._

_However, Hope is too quick and dodges the longing lips of the girl under her, and immediately dives into her neck. Her breath scorches the skin on Josie's neck and the siphoner feels like she's going to erupt._

_"I can't resist you anymore either," Josie moans, embarrassed at how desperate she sounded, " so_ please," Was _she really this much of a mess for this girl?_

_As if on cue, hot lips and a tongue dance up and down the girl's neck and Josie finds her fingers tangled in auburn hair, hopelessly pulling Hope closer. She sighs in satisfaction, leaning her head back to give the tribrid more room to work with._

_Josie's legs wrap around Hope's waist, pulling her dangerously closer. It is hard to tell where the body of one girl begins and the other ends. The siphoner continues to reward Hope with satisfied moans and sighs._

_"Wake up, Jo", the tribrid mumbles against the siphon's pulse point._

_"Hmm?" the girl hums in response, not fully understanding the words of her companion, her eyes shut and her mind lost in ecstasy._

_Hope chuckles lightly, licking from the base of her neck up to the younger girl's ear. She presses her lips against Josie's ear and whispers again seductively–_

_"Wake. Up."_

Josie immediately jolts awake panting, not yet fully aware of her surroundings. She tries to feel the warmth of Hope's body, but the tribrid is no longer there. 

She sighs in disappointment, feeling the thin layer of sweat on her forehead and the ache in her lower abdomen. She looks around and finds herself in her bedroom, but this time, without Hope. 

"You were having a sex dream," a familiar voice said, causing Josie to jump, nearly falling off the side of the bed.

" _What?_ No I wasn't" the brunette said to quickly deny the obvious. 

" _Please_ tell me it wasn't _Landon,"_ Lizzie said, who has clearly been awake for quite some time, "or _Hope_ for that matter"

Panic and embarrassment spread throughout the brunette twin's body. She had a _sex dream_ about _Hope._ Hope, who had a boyfriend. Hope, who the siphoner had been trading longing looks with every time their eyes met. _Hope,_ who she had a crush on again, but did it really ever go away? 

"I wasn't having a sex dream," Josie defended, her eyebrows scrunched. Lizzie rolled her eyes at her, clearly remembering Josie twitching and making small noises in her sleep. 

The brunette twin groaned with annoyance, trying desperately to shake the feeling that the dream gave her.

She decided to take a cold shower and wash away the sinful thoughts she had about Hope Mikaelson, a girl she was very much enamored with. 

Josie rolled out of bed and rubbed her tired eyes, still seeing images of the older girl on top of her, her hands around her neck. It had felt so _real_ , and part of her wished that she could go back to sleep to continue the dream. The only thing stopping her was her cock blocker of a sister, and the brunette girl silently cursed her twin in her head. 

She dragged herself to the bathroom reluctantly and began taking her clothes off until something caught her eye; a small purple and red patch on the base of her neck. She touched the mark, and it immediately _stung,_ indicating that it was freshly placed. 

"What the _fuck?!"_


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> you ask and i shall deliver! this story is no longer a one shot :)

A thousand thoughts and emotions run through Josie's mind as she lightly taps the hickey, wincing as the mark stings under her touch. The brunette stares at her reflection in the mirror, annoyed at how flushed her skin is. The "after sex glow", as the kids say, was evident in her entire complexion. 

The girl is utterly confused. She hadn't kissed anyone for _months_ , much less gotten down and dirty enough for there to be a dark purple love bite on her freaking neck. 

And there was absolutely no way that it was _Hope_ who had left it there. It had just been a dream, right? 

Josie groans and hops in the shower, too occupied with her thoughts to realize that the water is ice cold. The frigid water washes away the dirty thoughts she had about the tribrid and it relieves the ache in the pit of her stomach. As soon as she steps out of the shower shivering, the siphoner feels grateful for the icy-cold liquid, as she knows she must be rid of her _desires_ about Hope because she will inevitably run into the older girl at some point today. 

As muscle memory helps the absent minded girl finish getting ready for the day, Josie slips on a light blue blouse with an especially high collar to hide the very fresh love bite on her neck. It was the only option she had left, since the mark was too dark to put makeup over.

Lizzie took a little longer to get ready as usual, but once both twins are ready, they make their way to the dining hall for breakfast arm in arm. Lizzie is wide awake and excited to take on the day, while Josie silently prays that they don't run into Hope.

"What's up with you today?" Lizzie accuses with a smirk, noticing the way her sister's eyes were darting around the room, in search of god knows what. 

"What? Nothing," Josie murmurs quickly avoiding her sisters gaze. Without noticing, the brunette twin squeezes her sisters arm a bit tighter. 

"Does this have anything to do with that _dream_ you had?" the blonde teases with a smirk on her face. Josie quickly smacks her arm, scrunching her nose with anger.

"Shut UP Lizzie. I said I didn't have a sex dream". She rolls her eyes and the blonde haired twin nudges her sister playfully. Josie had felt a _years_ worth of embarrassment before her first class of the day had even started. 

"Jo! Lizzie! Over here!" a male voice calls out. The twins spot MG with a big smile on his face, reserving the girls seats in the very crowded dining hall. He waves his arms up to catch their attention. Josie has _no idea_ how MG is always in such a good mood in the morning and is slightly annoyed at the fact, but she blames her negativity on her sexual frustration. 

The twins walk over to their friend and Lizzie eagerly whips her legs over the bench, sitting down quickly. However, before Josie has the chance to sit down, she spots a head of auburn hair in a sea of browns and blondes, and she feels her entire body _ache_. 

The brunette's eyes widen and for a moment, she feels paralyzed. Images of the older girl on top of her flash in her eyes and her backpack drops to the ground. She can almost feel Hope's lips on her neck as the tribrid turns around to find a place to sit. She can almost see Hope's dark and lustful eyes scanning up and down her body, the chills that came with her gaze. She gulps, and she feels like the hidden love bite on her neck is on _fire._

"Jo? You good?" MG asks with concerned eyes. Josie doesn't even hear him. 

_I just can't resist you anymore Josie_ , is all she hears. 

"Jo?"

"Hmm? Mhmm"

"JOSETTE" MG says a little louder with a sterner tone. 

"Huh? I'm sorry I uh– I forgot something in my room, but I think I'm just gonna skip breakfast," she replies, her eyes still glued on the tribrid. She shakes her head, snapping her out of her trace. She tries to smile apologetically at her sister and the vampire, but it drops when she sees the pair looking at her like she's insane.

Lizzie looks at her sister and turns her body to the opposite direction, noticing the subject of Josie's awkward and jittery behavior, and the blonde twin's eyes light up with realization. 

"I'll see you guys at lunch though! Bye!" Josie says quickly, grabbing her backpack off the floor and speed walking out of the dining hall. The girl decides to _get the hell out_ before she does something stupid, like grabbing Hope right there and kissing her. 

"What's up with her?" MG asks, his eyes on Josie's figure quickly disappearing into the halls. 

"She _totally_ had a sex dream about Hope last night" Lizzie replies leaning in, amusement laced in her tone. 

The two chuckle slightly, but immediately stop when they catch the tribrid watching them with her eyebrows furrowed. Her eyes are more concerned than angry or disgusted.

" _Shit_ ," Lizzie mutters as she covers her face with her hand and turns the other way. MG does the same and for the rest of breakfast, they eat silently, trying to avoid Hope's gaze. 

... 

Josie manages to escape to an empty bathroom to try and collect herself. She immediately turns the faucet on, letting the cold water run to disguise her heavy and panicked breathing. 

"What the _fuck_ is wrong with me," she says out loud, collecting some water in her trembling hands and splashing it onto her face. It barely helps, but the girl doesn't care. She needed something, _anything_ to help her take her mind off of the tribrid. 

Before last night, Josie had never _really_ thought about Hope sexually, to a certain extent. Of course, she had thought about Hope like that here and there, fantasizing about the older girl just a few times while _helping herself_ , but it was never a full blown dirty fantasy of hers. Most of Josie's thoughts about Hope were more vanilla and romantic. She developed her crush on the tribrid because of her kindness, and strength, and the fact that she was one of the only people who never gave up on her.

The brunette took a few deep breaths, reminding herself that it was just a dream and that Hope was _just_ her friend. Her _friend_ who would probably never think about her in that way.

Get it _together_ , Josette, she told herself, glaring at her reflection in the mirror. This seemed to be a common theme; Josie scolding her own reflection in times of conflict. 

The girl turns the faucet off, fixes her hair and straightens her clothes before making her way out of the bathroom. 

That is, until a sharp pain hits her forehead. 

"Ow!" the brunette exclaims, immediately pressing her hand to her head and falling over. Someone had carelessly opened the door and hit her with it as she was trying to leave. Her body makes a loud thud on the floor. 

"Oh my god! Jo, I'm so sorry" a familiar voice says. Josie immediately knows who it is and she feels her heart clench and she goes numb once again. The intruder kneels down quickly and a hot hand comfortingly touches Josie's arm. The younger girl is set ablaze and she feels _pathetic_ for allowing a simple touch to ignite her in this way. 

Josie opens her eyes and finds Hope freaking Mikaelson's face 6 inches away from hers, her face filled with worry. The brown orbs widen with shock and she can practically feel her pupils dilating. 

"Are you okay??" Hope asks, her voice filled with genuine concern and worry and the girl starts to lightly rub the siphoner's forehead. 

_Why does she always_ have _to be so goddamn nice,_ Josie says to herself. 

"Oh um– I'm goo–" she stops when she feels Hope's other hand at the back of her neck, supporting the brunette's head up. 

_You've got to be kidding me_ , Josie thinks. She feels a lump in her throat as she gulps. The girl on top of her raises her eyebrows questioningly. 

"I'm...good?" she manages to get out quietly, but not without her voice cracking a bit.

Her eyes can't stop themselves from glancing at the older girl's eyes, down to her lips. The sight makes her gulp once again. She remembers the way those lips felt against her last night, and she wondered if they would feel the same way in real life. 

Hope nods slightly at Josie's response, noticing the siphoner's eyes drifting. Then, the tribrid's eyes glide from the girl's soft brown eyes, down her face and to her neck...

Josie nearly gets _sick_. She knows her mysterious hickey is on full display due to the position she's laying in and feels utterly _embarrassed._

_Great,_ she thinks. _Hope is gonna think I'm a slut or something._

She sees Hope's eyes widen at the sight, but to her shock, a familiar gold flicker appears in them. The same one she saw last night before allowing the tribrid to take complete control over her, before being rudely waken up _._

Josie sees panic, shock and confusion flash in the older girl's blue orbs, almost like she _knows_ something. The siphoner tries to read the other girl's face, but before she can, Hope quickly stands up.

"I uh– I've gotta go" Hope mutters almost inaudibly. Her eyes are wide and unmoving, but she still helps Josie stand up. Once the younger girl is on her feet, the tribrid nearly runs out of the bathroom, leaving a very confused Josie behind. 

Josie stands there frozen, not knowing what the hell just happened. 


	3. Chapter 3

For almost a full minute, Josie stands frozen at the bathroom door trying to comprehend what had just happened. It felt like an acid trip, the way Hope appeared and disappeared like smoke. 

If it weren't for Lizzie, she would have been standing there for god knows how long, but the blonde twin's loud and sharp voice quickly snaps Josie out of her trance. 

"Josie I've been looking all over for you!! We're about to be late to class!" her sister says as she grabs her arm, dragging her through the hallways. 

The brunette's eyes widen and she quickly nods, trying as hard as she can to snap herself out of Hope Mikaelson's bewitchment. The girl clenches her free hand into a fist, anxiously digging her nails into her palm to the point where blood is drawn.

The girls walk quickly to class, the sounds of their heels against the floor causing the entire class to whip their heads around as they walk in late. Josie mouths a silent 'sorry' to Dorian, and he nods with a disappointed look on his face. 

For the entire day, Josie is unable to focus no matter how hard she tries. She blindly attends and sits through each class, her mind always somewhere else.

The events of this morning replay over and over again and she can't seem to figure out why Hope reacted the way she did after seeing the mark on her neck. It was _very_ unlike Hope to just run off like that, but the siphoner finally settles on the assumption that the tribrid was probably disgusted with her. What kind of 16 year old still gets hickies?

The residual ache in the pit of her stomach, courtesy of her dream, doesn't aid the situation either. 

Josie groans in frustration and rubs her eyes with her fingers, _completely_ unaware of how loud she was. The sound causes her seat partner, Alyssa, to look up from her book and stare at her questioningly.

Josie looks back at the girl with her eyebrows scrunched, as if she was confused about where she was and why she was sitting next to the witch. The brunette darts her eyes around the room, recognizing it as her Monster 105 Honors class, the last one of the day. 

"What's up with you?" the dark haired witch asks Josie, sassily as ever. Her eyes are back to her book, as if she didn't care about Josie's response anyway. 

"Um Alyssa?" the brunette asks softly, her eyes gazing around the room. 

"Hmm?" Alyssa replies, looking back up at the witch with a lifted eyebrow. 

"How did I... get here?"

"Well," the book slams shut "you've pretty much been a zombie all day. Your sister has practically dragged you to every single class so I'm assuming she did the same for this one. And you and I were supposed to construct a spell today to ward off a chupacabra, but you were zoned out the entire time so I did it myself. It's phesmatos tribum nas ex sanguinem incendia. Try it out," the girl replies sarcastically as she stands up, grabbing her backpack off of the floor. 

The bell rings and students begin to shuffle out of the class, Josie being one of the last. The girl walks carefully, trying to keep her mind as present as possible in order to avoid being a "zombie", just enough to make it back to her room.

That is, until a strong shoulder bumps into her, nearly knocking her to the ground. 

"I'm so sorry!" she quickly turns around and apologizes, in true Josie fashion. 

The curly haired boy whom the shoulder belonged to just shoots her a glare. Landon. He quickly shrugs and walks away, leaving Josie slightly insulted and confused. Since when did _Landon_ have beef with her? 

Josie sighs and blows a stray strand of hair in front of her face away and quickly walks back to her room. It had been _too long_ of a day. She shuts the door loudly and dives into her bed, exhausted by the emotionally draining day she's had. 

She laid in her bed enjoying the silence of her room and felt at peace, at least until her thoughts of Hope began to return.

Annoyingly, the sexual frustration begins to build back up and the ache she's been feeling all day returns with a vengeance. 

_Fuck it_ , Josie says silently to herself, groaning and slipping out of her shoes and backpack, _I might as well._

She slides under her sheets and relaxes her body, letting her mind take her back to last night within the safe confines of her bedroom, nobody around to judge.

The witch closes her eyes and she remembers the way Hope's hands fit so perfectly around her neck, the way her hot breath scorched her skin, the way her voice got low and seductive. 

She missed the way Hope's lips felt on her, and wished she could feel them _everywhere._

With that thought, her hand can't seem to ignore the _irresistible ache_ in between her legs and slides down her skirt, reaching the spot where she wanted Hope the most. She pretends that the hand belongs the older girl, and the thought makes her squirm with excitement, and she pulls her bottom lip between her teeth. Her breaths become deeper as she the siphoner lets her mind run wild, imagining _everything_ she wanted the tribrid to do to her. 

She slowly opens her eyes, basking in pleasure, but what she sees before her makes her jump and gasp loudly, nearly knocking her off the bed. She almost has a heart attack at the sight of the girl.

"Hope????" she whisper-yells, eyebrows scrunched and eyes wild. She quickly whips her hand out of her skirt and nearly _dies_ on the spot. 

The tribrid is hovering over her, the same dark look in her eyes from the previous night. This time, she has a devilish smirk on her face, as if she's _pleased_ with what she just saw Josie doing. Josie tries to sit up, but Hope pins her arm down against the bed, restricting any movement from the girl. 

"What are you doing, Jo?" the older girl says lowly and teasingly, taunting the girl under her. The tribrid traces her finger deliciously slowly along the side of Josie's face from her ear, down to her neck, and finally to her lips, rubbing the plump bottom one with her thumb. The girl feels herself shudder underneath the tribrid, dark lustful eyes never leaving brown ones. 

"I was um... uh" the younger girl stutters, unable to speak due to the pounding in her chest _and_ her groin. She stares back Hope with wide eyes, unable to form a complete sentence or thought.

"I know you haven't been able to stop thinking about me today," the tribrid says, her voice low. She brings her face down to Josie's, brushing their lips ever so slightly. 

The younger girl feels _exposed_ and _vulnerable_ , but Hope's dominance was turning her on more than she could ever imagine. Her chest was rising and falling with anticipation, not knowing what the older girl was going to do next. 

"No... I haven't," she whispers softly, looking back at Hope with innocent eyes. 

The tribrid smirks at her reply, 

"you know," the auburn haired girl starts, her hand slowly wandering on Josie's thigh, right below her skirt, "you don't have to do _all of this_ alone," the tribrid looks up and down Josie's body, clearly referring to the younger girl touching herself. 

Hope grins, and dips her head down to Josie's neck, leaving light and soft kisses along the sensitive skin. 

Josie's breath hitches and she gulps, completely at a loss of words. 

"W-what do you mean?" is all she's capable of spitting out. The world is _spinning_ and all that is holding Josie Saltzman together at this moment is the sinful honey laced words of the girl on top of her. 

"I mean... I think I can help take away all that stress you've been having today" Hope replies with the same seductive and deep tone that Josie absolutely can't resist, "I bet I could make you feel _so_ much better. Would you like that?" she says innocently, now with her lips pressed against the siphon's ear.

The brunette nearly _combusts_ at the older girl's words. Her heart is pounding at 1000 miles an hour and she can no longer take it. 

For the first time, Josie decides to be bold and grabs the tribrid by her hair, crashing her lips onto hers.

The kiss is passionate and frenzied, and Hope doesn't miss the first opportunity to slip her tongue into Josie's mouth. 

The younger girl lets out a soft moan against her crush's lips, pulling on her soft auburn hair. Tongues dance and wrestle, and Josie feels like kissing Hope made the stars align as if fate brought them together. 

The tribrid wastes no time pulling Josie on top of her and the brunette eagerly straddles her, never breaking their kiss. Josie feels Hope grin against her lips, and she grinds down onto her, wanting the tribrid to _want_ her as much as she did. The older girl lets out a satisfied moan at the action, prompting the siphoner to want to go even further. 

Josie takes both of Hope's hands with her own trembling ones and place them on her thighs, eager to feel her touch. She thanks _god_ that Hope immediately gets the memo and slides her hands up the younger girl's skirt, skimming the skin and slightly squeezing her ass.

She can't help but moan loudly once again as Hope's hands _explore_ her, and she squirms on her lap, sighing sweetly against her mouth. 

Hope breaks their kiss, taking a moment to gaze into the other girl's eyes and to breathe. Josie frowns in response, already missing the feeling of Hope's lips against her own, her entire body _buzzing_ in ecstasy.

Annoyed with how long Hope is taking to kiss her back, Josie decides takes matters into her own hands. She leans in and begins placing soft kisses on the tribrid's neck, eagerly devouring the soft skin.

The younger girl _loves_ the way Hope tastes, and greedily licks and sucks the skin until dark red patches begin to form. _I'll call it payback_ , she says in her head. 

She feels Hope sigh hotly into her ear and chuckle slightly. 

"What?" Josie asks innocently while continuing to kiss the _delicious_ skin on her neck, feeling the vibration of the tribrid's laugh against her lips. 

"We better slow down babe, someones coming," she responds teasingly, not showing any sign of wanting to slow down. Josie pulls back with her eyebrows furrowed, and Hope kisses her lips with a smirk on her own, "I better hide". 

"No need, the door is locked" Josie replies softly shaking her head, pulling Hope back to her lips. The tribrid kisses the girl back slowly, but her lips gradually begin to wander back down to Josie's neck, causing the the younger girl to squeeze her eyes shut, her body and soul on _fire._

"That feels so good, Hope" she whispers breathlessly, her trembling fingers scratching the skin on the back of the tribrid's neck. 

Josie is completely lost in the euphoria of this intimate moment with Hope, savoring every touch and kiss. 

That is, until a loud banging snaps her back into reality, nearly making her heart lunge out of her chest. 

Her eyes jump open, the noise nearly startling her to death. Her eyes scan the room around her and once reality settles in, the girl finds herself alone laying on her back, hands desperately gripping the sheets around her.

Hope Mikaelson was nowhere to be found. 

"JOSETTE LUCAS SALTZMAN OPEN THIS DAMN DOOR!!" Lizzie screamed from the other side. 

The brunette twin could only stare at the door unable to move, her heart aching in her chest. Her chest rose and fell rapidly, the ghost of Hope's touch still on her skin.

Right then and there, Josie nearly _burst_ into tears. 

" _Vis sera Portus_ ," Lizzie exclaimed, spelling the bedroom door open. The piece of wood fell open, making a loud noise as it made contact with the wall. 

"Josie what the hel-" the blonde stopped when she saw her sister sitting on her bed, tears pooling in her big eyes. 

"Lizzie," she let out softly, "what's wrong with me?", causing all the anger in her twin's face to drop, and the blonde twin rushes over to hug her sister. 

And with that, Josie _cried_ , feeling like she had damn well lost her fucking mind. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> let's just pretend i didn't spend all day writing this chapter instead of doing any homework.


	4. Chapter 4

"Jo, nothing is wrong with you, I promise" 

"H-hope... she was j-just here," Josie whimpers, her fingers still tangled in the sheets around her. 

Usually, it's Josie who is comforting her sister, reminding her that there is nothing wrong with her and that she isn't crazy. Now, it's Lizzie's arms that are wrapped around her twin as she softly cries into her shoulder. 

"I feel like I'm going insane," Josie whispers with a shaky voice. Hope's touch still lingers on her skin, and she _hates it._ She can still feel her lips on hers and her tongue is still sore from kissing her. 

"What happened? What do you mean Hope was just here?" Lizzie tries to ask as softly as she can, stroking the brunette girl's hair. 

Josie sniffs before giving her an answer, slowly lifting her head from her sister's shoulder. She lets out a sigh and silently prays that her future self wouldn't regret revealing this very awkward and personal thing to her sister. The girl can't find it in her to keep this a secret from Lizzie. 

"You promise you won't make fun of me?" she asks quietly, looking down at her tear stained fingers. Lizzie nods and takes her hand. 

Josie fills Lizzie in on everything that had unfolded within the last 12 hours, starting with waking up from her 'sex dream' up until the sudden disappearance of the tribrid that had happened not 5 seconds before the blonde walked into the room. The brunette purposely leaves out the fact that she was masturbating though, Lizzie _definitely_ did not need to know that. 

"I woke up with this one," the brunette points to the original and much darker hickey, "and the rest are from just now I guess," the usual happy glint in her eyes missing. 

"You know something else that was weird," Josie adds, "when I ran into her in the bathroom, she saw my neck, and she completely freaked out and ran away".

"Do you think she's using magic to somehow... _get to you?_ " the blonde twin asks. For once, Lizzie is at a loss for words, not knowing what to make of this whole situation. All she can do is comfort her sister and it seems to be working; Josie's tears have stopped and the strength in her voice is back. 

"But if she _is_ using magic, why would this be happening me when she could be doing the real thing with Landon?" she sighs and grabs a pillow and hugs it to her chest. 

"or I might just be going insane," the brunette says, scoffing at herself. 

"That makes the two of us," Lizzie teases softly and it prompts a small smile to crack on Josie's face.

"Gemini DNA I guess," the brunette twin teases back, her grin slightly bigger. 

... 

After letting Lizzie distract her with the latest school gossip, the blonde twin falls asleep and Josie gravitates towards the gym. She doesn't know how or why, but something in her gut tells her that the tribrid would be there. The brunette needs answers, and she figures that having a conversation with Hope to see how the older girl reacts might give her some. 

And she was right. Josie approaches the double doors that lead to the large gym and her eyes fall on a single figure, aggressively jabbing at a large punching bag. She can practically see the steam coming off of the tribrid's body. Hope's biceps are on full display and her workout attire highlights her curvy figure, and it takes everything in Josie to not _drool_ at the sight.

The girl also has her hair in a high ponytail and Josie knows that if she is able to get a glimpse of the tribrid's neck, she will know that she isn't just imagining things and that Hope was actually there with her, one way or another. 

_Focus, Josie_ she tells herself. 

After taking a deep breath, the brunette slowly walks into the empty gym and she knows that Hope's werewolf hearing would pick up on her quiet footsteps. As expected, the older girl immediately whips her body around as soon as Josie walks into the room, stopping dead in her tracks as she takes in the sight of the siphoner. Josie watches as her eyes practically pop out of her damn skull. 

"Josie???"

Hope is obviously very shocked and looks almost... panicked? Josie's presence evidently catches the tribrid off guard because as soon as she turns around, she is almost knocked over by the swinging punching bag. The girl clumsily jumps to the side and holds the bag steady, cursing under her breath. A very un-Hope Mikaelson move. 

Josie decides to say nothing and simply looks at the girl with curiosity, continuing to step closer to her. She needs to observe Hope's reaction, see if she knows something. 

"What uh... what are you doing here?" the tribrid stammers and Josie can practically feel the nervousness and tension radiating off of her body. 

Josie still says nothing, but her eyes move to the tribrid's neck, searching for the sign she's looking for. 

"Jo?" she asks again, but this time, there is underlying fear in her voice. It's much deeper and quieter. She follows Josie's eyes and immediately knows what she's looking for, instantly shielding the skin on her neck with her hands. 

_Interesting._

"Why did you do that?" Josie pauses and asks with scrunched eyebrows. Because of the poor lighting in the gym, Josie has a hard time seeing Hope's skin clearly, but the older girl was acting very nervous and on edge to the point where it was _suspicious_. Anyone who knew Hope Mikaelson knew that that was _never_ the case. 

The brunette takes two more big steps closer to Hope, feeling that same damned magnetic pull that seemed to be present whenever they were near each other. The action intimidates Hope and she takes a step back in response, her nerves increasing and her limbs beginning to go numb. This time, Josie is the lion, and Hope is the lamb. _A very scared, suspicious acting lamb,_ Josie thinks. 

"I uh- um-" is all Hope can muster out of her mouth. 

Josie tilts her head to the side, continuing to step forward while Hope continues to step back. It's like a dance, and the younger girl is leading. The thick tension fills the air, and both girls can feel it. 

"What's wrong, Hope" Josie says softly and almost teasingly without meaning to. 

The brunette's soft brown eyes never leave blue ones and without fully realizing what she's doing, she slowly reaches a hand out towards Hope's own, trying to move it away from her neck. Hope tries to step back more, but there is nowhere left to go– the girl's back hits the wall and she realizes she's _screwed._

"Josie, I can't" she whispers, and it is barely audible.

Josie holds onto the callused, gloved hand and can feel Hope trembling under her touch. She raises her eyebrows and slowly moves her hand away from what the tribrid is trying so desperately to hide, and when she does, she sees them. 

Little red and purple marks, littered _all over_ Hope's neck. Marks that belonged to _Josie_. Her eyes go wide with shock as a wave of realization hits her, and she looks like she had just seen a ghost. Her suspicions were confirmed. Hope _was_ there. But how?

Josie doesn't know what to do or say, but when she sees the way Hope is looking at her, she slowly moves her hand up to her own neck, moving her hair out of the way to expose her own marks. Marks that Hope left, and she _knows_ that the girl recognizes them. 

The tribrid lets out a noise from the back of her throat and she gulps, causing the sweaty skin on her neck to glisten in the dim gym lighting. Josie notices the girl's chest heaving, and has to _force_ herself to not let her gaze go any lower. 

Hope looks extremely vulnerable and afraid now, and Josie knows that it is definitely not the right place or time, but she can't stop the rush of dirty thoughts that enter her mind, especially now that she knows that to some extent, the little moments they had together were _real._ The fact that she has Hope pinned up against the wall doesn't help either. 

"So it _was_ real," Josie whispers, getting dangerously close to the tribrid. Hope is breathing really hard, and Josie is close enough that the tribrid's breath tickles her lips in the most alluring way possible. 

"I'm not just going crazy," she continues, her tone a little sterner.

For the first time in her life, Josie sees _fear_ in Hope's eyes. She moves her mouth like she wants to say something, but no words come out. The tribrid is left a mumbling mess and when Josie least expects it, she slides away from under the younger girl in a panic. 

"Wait, stop!" 

"I'm sorry Josie I have to go," Hope says quietly as she anxiously runs to her gym bag, shoving all her belongings in it as quickly as she can. Josie tries to stop her, but the tribrid is too quick and swiftly runs out of the room, making the mistake of forgetting to zip up her bag. A small clear bag drops out of it as she runs off, but the tribrid's mind is too occupied to notice. 

"Hope, wait–" Josie calls out after the girl, but she is already gone. The brunette sighs in defeat and picks the bag up, making a mental note to return it to the girl tomorrow. She also decides that that will be when she will confront her about this whole _situation_ again, and this time, she won't let her run away.

Josie doesn't know how to process all the emotions that flood her mind; she doesn't know if she should be angry at Hope for not telling her what was going on or happy that it was real. _Crushes and logical emotions don't belong together_ , she thinks. 

As the musty scent of the gym fills her nose, Josie knows she has no purpose to be in the place anymore– she never came anyway unless it was absolutely necessary. It was where the wolves mostly trained, hence the stench.

She begins to walk back to her room, but as she's barely 5 steps out of the gym, she notices the strange contents inside of Hope's forgotten little pouch. The clear bag is halfway filled with a dry herblike substance, and her initial suspicions about it being weed are _quickly_ proven wrong when she opens the bag and inhales the scent. She nearly _gags_ at the smell, immediately recognizing it as a magical narcotic. 

What purpose it served exactly, she did not know. She wondered why on earth Hope would be in possession of such an herb, since the older girl took Potions already a year ago. 

Josie's intuitive sense seemed to be at its peak lately, because something inside her told her to find out what exactly this herb was. The same gut feeling that told her to come to the gym. 

The brunette whips her phone out of her pocket and scrolls through her contacts before she finds the one she's looking for. 

She taps her foot anxiously on the floor as the phone rings, and it does so twice before the other end picks up. 

"Josie, sweetie! Hi! It's been so long, how are you?" the kind voice says, and Josie heart warms at the comfort it brings. 

"Hi Aunt Bonnie, I need your help."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thank you guys for reading and commenting, your comments really make my day (and night) :)


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry this update took so long. life has been really hectic, but things are looking up :)

"Do you know what it is?"

Josie's eyes never leave Bonnie as the witch paces the Saltzman twins' bedroom. Every time the girl uses astral projection, she can't help but be amazed at it. It was as if Bonnie was really _here._

Bonnie inspects the herb carefully, rubbing the strange substance between her fingers with a few hums and mmm's escaping her mouth every now and then. At one point, her mouth even closes up into a tense line as she tries to suppress a gag–- probably due to the rancid smell protruding from the herb. 

"Yup," the witch scowled as she flicked the residual pieces left of the herb off of her fingers. The bed dips as she sits next to Josie, whose eyes were wide with curiosity. 

"It's from a plant called the artemisa vulgaris," Bonnie says, taking one last inhale. She immediately regrets it. 

"What does it do?" Josie leans in to take a closer look at it. 

"Well, it's a very complex plant. It's known to be a dream drug, lots of people used to say it caused dark dreams that reveal hidden insights and desires, sometimes even to the point where it translates into real life and lowers all inhibitions. Basically crack with magic."

"Its a dream drug?"

"Uh huh. Vampire head dives and memory altering is nothing compared to this stuff." Bonnie replies. 

A barely audible "oh" slips out of Josie's mouth, the pieces beginning to form together in her mind. 

"What do you need this for? It's pretty advanced for school aged witches, no?" the older witch asked with a raised eyebrow. 

"It's for uh... it's for potions. We got a new teacher and he said we needed to learn about advanced plant species to make more advanced potions. So.." Josie rambles but is surprised at how well she could come up with a BS story. 

Bonnie lets out a _hmph_ and seals the bag tightly before handing it back to Josie, "well, it could be really dangerous if overused and is rather ancient, so I'd be careful with it. You wouldn't know about half the shit–– I mean stuff you're doing when you take too much" 

_Hope... what if she's..._

Josie ends the thought before it can even enter her mind. She _refuses_ to believe that Hope would be using this drug on purpose. Why would she? She has a boyfriend. 

"Thank you so much Aunt Bonnie, I really appreciate your help," Josie says with as warm of a smile as she can muster, clutching the crystal in her hands.

"You're very welcome sweetie. Good luck on your project!" 

Josie nods with a smile, and within a second, Bonnie disappears. 

Josie silently stands still as she takes in what Bonnie had just told her and a loud sigh releases the air in her lungs.

For some reason, she can't stop thinking about the marks on Hope's neck and the way the older girl reacted when she saw her, like she was trying to _hide_ them. It was almost like she was afraid or nervous of being around Josie, which had never been the case before. 

And to make things even stranger, the little bag that dropped out of Hope's gym bag happened to be an ancient dream drug that lowers inhibitions and reveals hidden desires??

The girl throws herself into her bed and groans, tired from the long day she has had. She closes her eyes and allows the exhaustion in her body overcome her restless mind as sleep takes over her. 

Hope Mikaelson plagues her dreams again, but this time, it is simply just a creation of Josie's subconscious thoughts. 

... 

Josie has Hope's entire schedule memorized–– a perk of being the headmaster's daughter. _Not_ because Hope is her crush or anything, of course. 

The brunette knows that she _needs_ to talk to Hope about what has been going on between them, especially now that they have kissed while Hope is in a relationship. Josie had even wanted to do _more_ than kiss, and Hope was the one who had initiated it. 

The younger girl knows that her and the tribrid will inevitably run into each other at some point during the day, the Salvatore School was not a huge school after all. 

Because of this, the siphoner takes _extra_ long to get ready without even realizing it. She puts in extra care while doing her makeup, takes time curling her hair, and rummages through her closet to find the cutest top she could to match her plaid uniform skirt. She even almost forgets Hope's artemisa ver- _whateveritscalled_ on her way out, quickly stuffing it into her bag sloppily.

Right before she leaves, she sees a note in Lizzie's handwriting on the desk. 

_**Finished getting ready before you & starving. I'll see you in class ❤️ ** _

_Well, that's a first,_ Josie thinks. 

Josie runs through Hope's schedule in her mind one last time on the way to the dining hall, her nervousness translating into the pace of her walk. 

In the mornings, her dad and Hope are normally off training but once they're done, she usually drops into the dining hall just to pick up something light for breakfast. She's usually gone before anyone knows she's there. 

After that, Josie shares 3 classes with the tribrid, then there's lunch, but she probably wouldn't be able to talk to Hope then because she usually sits with Landon. Then, 2 more classes that they don't have together. 

Although she is late to breakfast, Josie tries to keep her eyes glued to the entrance of the dining hall, but the students shuffling in and out make it difficult to spot the person she is looking for. As expected, Hope does not come and if she did, it had only been for a second. The brunette sighs in defeat and slings her backpack over her shoulder, walking out with the last group of students leaving the dining hall. 

Josie thinks of the next best thing–– she would _not_ let Hope run this time. 

Her heart beats rapidly as she pushes through the crowd of students trying to get to class. She has _no idea_ where she got this new sense of boldness, but she is extremely thankful for it in this moment. 

Josie's eyes dart around the hall, tip toeing to get a view over the crowd, searching for the auburn hair of the girl who has been plaguing her mind for _days._

Then, she spots her, and the brunette makes chase.

\- 

Regardless of being an all powerful tribrid, Hope had felt _especially_ off her A-game for the past few days. When she shifted, she was nearly out of control and had almost knocked down half the trees on the school grounds. It had only gotten worse when she was human, especially when she was asleep. Her wolf was just _too_ active. In human form, she had barely felt like herself anymore, like another part of her was fighting over dominance of her entire being. 

The stress of chasing down monsters every week and single handedly protecting the school was beginning to weigh her down as well, and like every girlfriend does, she consoled her boyfriend who happened to have full access to Dorian's herb cabinet. Landon gave her what he called a "medicinal herb", assuring her that it would be stress-relieving and would help tame her wolf, and would give her more control over her body and mind. 

It seemed to be doing the opposite, though. Hope was constantly slipping in and out of consciousness and she could practically _feel_ her wolf taking over her, doing whatever it wanted with her human body.

When she wasn't in control, the human side of Hope's mind could do nothing but watch her wolf act out on its impulses, bringing out the parts of her subconscious that were _deeply_ buried. Her wolf was snappy, impatient, aggressive and _sly._ The world around her was constantly glowing yellow, a show of her wolf asserting it's control over her. 

The most difficult part about it all was knowing that her and her wolf are one and the same, every want and _need_ that it had was one that Hope did too, even if she hadn't realized it yet.

One of those wants happened to be Josie Saltzman.

She had been having _vivid_ dreams about the Saltzman girl, and those dreams began to make her old feelings for her resurface, even though they had been buried since she was 14. She shivers when she remembers the way her wolf had gotten to Josie and immediately wanted to _mate_ with the younger girl. Every time the siphoner was around, Hope's world would burn yellow and she would _completely_ lose control. Even thinking about the brunette immediately caused goosebumps to rise on her skin. 

But at this moment for the first time in what felt like _days,_ Hope's wolf is tame. Her human side is in control as she walks to class, focusing on every step she makes as an attempt to keep her conscious mind awake. 

She looks down at her feet as she walks, counting each step. 

" _405, 406, 407, 408--"_ Each step she takes taps loudly against the wooden floor, resembling a ticking clock. 

" _409, 4--_ "

A door opens and suddenly, her concentration is broken when a firm hand wraps around her arm, dragging her into an empty classroom. She feels the air escape her lungs at the sudden movement, leaving no air for her to scream. 

"Hope" a voice says, sweet but stern. 

The tribrid recovers from her shock and focuses her vision on her "kidnapper". _Shit,_ she thinks as she takes in the sight of brown eyes and an innocent face.

"Josie??"

Hope's eyes widen at the sight of the subject of her dreams. This is bad, really bad. 

She had _just_ gotten her wolf to calm down, and knowing how much she–– her wolf wanted Josie, this was _bad._

Josie looked down shyly and Hope watched as the younger girl played with her fingers, a habit of hers that happened whenever she was nervous. Hope thought it was adorable, but couldn't stop her mind from drifting to when those same fingers pulled and tugged at her hair, when they scratched her back... 

Her world became yellow again. A low growl escaped from the back of her throat and the tribrid felt her human self begin to slip away. 

"I'm sorry for um," Josie pauses and slightly tilts her head when she sees the color of Hope's eyes shift, "Hope... your eyes" Josie says quietly, her brown ones looking back at her both concern and curiosity. 

Hope could _feel_ her wolf taking over the longer she was around Josie. She looked at the brunette with a golden hue replacing all color, the animalistic urge to touch her growing within her. Her heart was _racing_ and if Josie got any closer, she would probably see the rapid pulsing in her neck.

Josie steps forward and Hope quickly shuts her eyes before she loses control. 

"Josie, I can't. You're not safe alone here with me," Hope pleaded and turned her body away. Her throat was dry, making her voice come out scratchy and rough. 

"Hope, it's okay. I know you'd never hurt me," Josie replies in the most soothing tone Hope as ever heard. She feels her heart ache at the siphon's words. Hope doesn't know whether it's her or her wolf who think it, but the sound of Josie's voice is like _pure sex_ to her ears. It calms her down immediately, and she agrees. She would never hurt Josie. 

_This is wrong,_ she tells her wolf, but it doesn't care. Josie walks closer to her so that she is now standing in front of Hope again. 

The tribrid remains silent and desperately clutches her eyes closed, afraid of what might happen if she opens them. But by the way the air around her tightens and the sweet smell of Josie fills her nostrils, she knows the girl is stepping closer to her. 

All that the older girl can hear is Josie's soft breathing, until a soft finger brushes her hair away from her neck and Hope knows that she's in trouble. There's no hiding from her anymore. 

"Can you please tell me what has been going on, Hope?" Josie whispers softly, and Hope can _feel_ the electricity coming from the girl's fingers. 

"I-- I don't know," Hope stutters, and her lack of words cause the younger girl to sigh and step back. Hope almost feels guilty for making Josie widen the space between them.

"You dropped this last night at the gym," Josie says while unzipping her bag.

What she pulls out nearly makes Hope _faint_ and her body begins to burn hot with guilt, eyes wide and filled with dread. She knew from seeing Josie last night that her _hallucinations_ and dreams were affecting her too. It was evidenced all over her neck, and the last thing Hope ever wanted to do was hurt Josie. 

"I um, t-thank you" she quickly takes the bag back from the younger girl and stuffs it in her skirt pocket. Their hands barely brush, but the contact still sends electricity through her body. 

"You've been having them too haven't you," Josie says more like a statement rather than a question. Hope feels like her heart is in her throat and she can barely speak. All she does is nod. 

"Why have you been doing it?" the brunette asks, but this time there's a slight quiver in her voice and sadness in her eyes. 

"Doing what?" _Pathetic,_ Hope thinks. _I'm fucking pathetic._

"Whatever is happening between us." Josie says louder, her voice beginning to get more stern and Hope can't help but feel a little afraid. Since when was Hope Mikaelson _afraid_ of anyone? 

The younger girl's eyes dart to Hope's neck, "I _know_ you know what I mean". 

Hope begins to panic and remembers Dr. Saltzman telling her that one of the best way to get out of trouble with the twins was to play dumb, and that is exactly what she does. She tries to come up with something stupid or a small little lie, but for some reason, her tongue won't let her. Denial, she decided, was the way to go. 

"I don't know what you're talking about, Jo" the tribrid hesitated, "I'm sorry" she turned and walked towards the door. 

Hope does not have a chance to escape though, Josie does not let her. She lunges after Hope and firmly grabs her by the wrist, not letting her move any further. Panic begins to rise again throughout the tribrid's body. 

"I know what the drug is, Hope. Where did you get it and why is it affecting me?" Josie demands. 

The older girl releases a deep sigh and Josie drops her hand. She turns around and meets Josie's firm and piercing gaze.

"I never meant for it to affect you, I swear" Hope whispered, and Josie's eyes soften. 

"Yeah" Josie mumbles, looking down at Hope's feet. 

The thought of Josie being hurt or angry with her hurt Hope more than she ever thought. She had always had a soft spot for the brunette twin ever since they were kids. She _never_ felt this way, even with her own damn boyfriend. 

"Please know it wasn't me doing all those things, it was my wolf. I never wanted to hurt you or take advantage of you," the older girl pleads apologetically. 

Hope sees a million emotions flash through Josie's eyes, but the one that is the most apparent is pain. Somehow it makes Hope feel worse.

"Jo... I'm so sorry, please forgive me" Hope takes her hand softly, having no _idea_ why she needs Josie to not be mad at her, "I would have never done anything without your consent"

"Hope, it's fine... I just thought we," the girl sighs without finishing her sentence. Her eyes move to the other side of the room, avoiding Hope's own. 

"It just felt so real. I'm sorry for being disappointed that it wasn't. You have a Landon, so" Josie stands up, but Hope's hand is still holding hers. Hope's heart ached more and more by the second, _why is this hurting so much._

"Josie..." was all Hope could manage through the lump in her throat. 

The brunette steps closer to Hope and lifts her hand to the tribrid's cheek, nearly _killing_ Hope. She completely stops breathing at this moment and she can feel the thundering pounding of her heart. She swears Josie could too. 

Josie smiles softly but sadly, rubbing small circles on Hope's cheek. 

"You should get back to Landon." she whispers. The two girls look into each others eyes, pain and _want_ flashing between their orbs and neither of them want to break apart. However, Josie does. 

"Bye, Hope" 

The younger girl's hand is on the doorknob, but she suddenly stops when Hope calls out to her. As she says it, the tribrid realizes how much she loves the way Josie's name comes out of her mouth. But that, however, is not the issue at hand at the moment. 

"It was Landon. Landon gave it to me." Hope admits. 

"Landon? What–– why would he give that drug to you?" Josie fully turns around crossing her arms, her eyebrows furrowed. 

"He" the tribrid sighs "He told me that it was supposed to be stress relieving and that it would help me have more control over my wolf. Apparently that hasn't been the case. I haven't felt like myself in days. I'm on edge, I'm lost and I'm––"

"Hope, no..." concern laces Josie's voice, and she steps closer to the older girl, "you need to stop taking it right now. Have you had any today?" she says in a panic, coming even closer to Hope and resting her hands on both of the tribrid's arms. 

"No... why?" Hope says. 

"It's _not_ a stress relieving drug, Hope. It's a _dream_ drug. It causes dark dreams about hidden... desires," Josie's voice cracks at the last word, blood rushing to her face, "if you take too much you'll lose all control of yourself."

"Landon he..." Josie swallows, "I think he lied to you"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hope and josie are soft as f*ck for each other and nobody can convince me otherwise.


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> trigger warning: there is a scene where a kiss is a little forced, but it is not completely unconsensual. if this may make you uncomfortable, i apologize and would advise you to not read this chapter, although the moment isn't very long.

Hope impatiently taps her foot on the hardwood floor, her boot making a rather obnoxious sound out of the hollow wood. She can't help it. Ever since Josie told her the truth about Landon's drug, her mind hasn't stopped racing. As a result, she now stands in the phoenix's bedroom, waiting for him to come back from dinner. She had skipped dinner herself, her appetite has seemed to completely vanish within the last few days. For food, at least. 

She looks around her and finds the floor of the room littered with Rafael and Landon's dirty laundry, making the entire space _reek_ of teenage boy. It's dark and dingy and musty, and the smells only increase her anxiety.

She forces herself to try to think about literally anything other than the stench as the offensive smell invades her nose, trying her best not to puke.

Hope closes her eyes and takes a few deep breaths, attempting to slow her rapidly beating heart. And with hardly any effort, her mind drifts to Josie, as it has been doing quite frequently. This time though, it happens to slip to Josie's room. 

She thinks how neat and organized the younger girl keeps it and how the room always smells of flowers and lavender. 

And her bed. Oh, the smell of her bed.

And the things they had done in her bed.

Suddenly, she's there, but not there. Her mind wanders, and she feels Josie's hot breath tickling her neck as the girl pants heavily, squirming on her lap. She can feel the heat of her skin under her fingertips, can _smell_ the sweet and addicting scent that is pure Josie. She can hear the brunette whimpering her name needily, tugging and grabbing at her clothes, her hair, anything her fingers can latch onto. 

Hope's mind slips further into an abyss of pleasure, wanting so badly to go back to Josie. The world around her turns golden again, regular colors slowly blending into a yellow hue. 

She is almost completely gone and out of her body when loud footsteps instantaneously yank her back to reality. Landon opens the door, finding Hope sitting on his bed looking dazed and clutching the sheets around her with tight fists. 

"Hey there," he smiles, as if walking into a pleasant surprise. She sucks in a sharp breath at his sudden appearance, embarrassed that he had walked in on one of her daydreams. 

"Landon, hi" she says, standing up and smoothing her skirt out. He walks closer to her and holds his arms out for a hug. She obliges and wraps her arms around him awkwardly. 

"What are you doing here?" 

Hope doesn't quite know how to bring up the subject of the drug. How was she supposed to accuse her boyfriend of giving her magical roofies? 

"I... I don't really know. I just ended up here?" 

"Oh," he says while scratching the back of his head, obviously a little confused, "well I've missed you. I haven't seen much of you lately" 

"You too" Hope says trying to smile, but her lips can only muster a small and awkward smile. She rocks back and forth on her heels and tip toes, the tension in the room weighing heavily on her. 

"I mean it... I haven't seenmuch of you lately" his voice lowering a bit. The air around them grows thick with awkwardness Hope stops rocking. Since when had being around Landon been so _weird_?

"Well I'm here now" she replies with a small giggle, trying again to smile at her boyfriend who had a look on her face that she couldn't recognize. He walks closer and wraps his arms around her, and she gulps at the contact. He pulls her closer and she nearly trips at being practically pulled towards him, whispering a small apology with an awkward smile as she holds onto his shoulders to stabilize herself. 

She doesn't expect it at all when Landon moves in to connect his lips with hers, watching it all happen as his eyes close shut before kissing her. Hope stands frozen for a second, not knowing how to react until he pulls her closer, wanting her to reciprocate the kiss. It takes her a second, but she closes her eyes and presses her lips back against his. However, when she shuts her eyes, she only sees full, pouty lips and her name being whispered out of them sinfully. 

With that image in her head, the guilt hits her like a truck. It was _wrong_ of her to allow Landon, her boyfriend, to miss her and be kissing her when she was thinking about Josie. She couldn't _stop_ thinking about Josie, and it felt so wrong. So wrong... but right. 

Their lips unlatch softly, and she feels Landon's hot breath against her mouth, but it doesn't feel the same. It doesn't feel like Josie's. 

"What's wrong?" he whispers, wrapping his arms around her even tighter. 

"I... um" she sighs, basically exhaling into his mouth. He rubs his nose against her affectionately, trying to soothe her, but she only feels _worse._ The guilt inside her grows with every passing second and all she wants to do is run into a certain brunettes arms, even though _she_ is the subject of her guilt. 

"I thought you liked kissing me" he whispers, "you told me yourself" 

"I did," Hope says, her use of the past tense making Landon pull back with scrunched eyebrows. "Did?"

"I mean I do!" she corrects herself, "it's just"

She still doesn't know how to bring up the drug. Why is this so much harder than it should be? 

"Just what?" What's wrong?" he presses, growing more concerned and suspicious of her behavior. His eyebrows scrunch together with worry as he searches her expression for answers, but finds nothing. 

"Nothing just..." she sighs, "just kiss me again"

Landon stares at her for a second blankly, but soon obliges. He catches her lips with his, but this time, more frantically. It's hard and fast and not gentle whatsoever, and yet again, Hope's mind subconsciously wanders to Josie's lips. 

She squeezes her eyes shut, trying to focus on her _boyfriend,_ kissing him back equally as fervently, but the image of Josie never falters. She sees her lips again, the full and pouty lips that set her body on fire for the first time in her life. The best kisses she's ever had have been with Josie, and she realizes that in this very moment as Landon's lips continue to smash into hers. 

"I- I can't" she pulls back, breaking the kiss and leaving Landon breathing heavily, looking frustrated and winded. "I can't do this," Hope steps away, running her hand through her hair and wiping her mouth with her other, feeling ashamed and _weak._

"What? Hope what happened?" Landon asks, still panting. He looks hurt and upset, and Hope knows that she just needs to _do it_ before it gets any worse. 

"What was in that drug you gave me Landon?" she demands, looking straight at him as she watches his eyes grow wide. She sees his neck bob as he gulps, a habit of his when he isn't telling the truth. 

She raises her eyebrows and crosses her arms, the anger inside of her rising with every second that Landon remains quiet and unwilling to answer her. She paces around the room, her heavy boots against the floor adding to the anger and tension filling the room. His silence was deafening, only making everything _worse._

"I know you were lying. I knew it the moment I was feeling my wolf getting more and more control over me when you said it would be doing the exact opposite!" And then-" she stops herself. She doesn't want to bring Josie into this. She can't.

Landon stares at the ground, looking up when she stops. 

"And then what?" he says cooly, catching Hope's eyes flit to the ground. 

"I just want to know why. Why would you give me something that would make me lose even more control over the most dangerous side of me?" Hope spits angrily, "I could have hurt people Landon. I could have _killed_ people!" 

"It wasn't meant to do that!" he finally admits, raising his arms up in surrender, "it was supposed to..." he sighs, "it was supposed to expose your hidden desires. I thought that it would get you to want me more," he explains pathetically, "You've been distant lately, we barely talk anymore, we haven't had sex in a _month,_ " Hope flinches at the word, "I just wanted you to want me again"

Hope nearly shakes with anger. How could her own boyfriend, someone she was supposed to be able to trust, drug her to make her want him more???

Her fists tighten until the flesh there is white, and her eyes switch between blue and yellow with the rage flowing through her. 

"DID YOU NOT THINK ABOUT THE CONSEQUENCES?! YOU PUT THE WHOLE SCHOOL IN DANGER," she yells, fully shaking now, "I COULD HAVE HURT HER, LANDON. I COULD HAVE HURT JOSIE," 

Just as the name slips out of her mouth, realization hits Landon as he watches Hope fall completely silent, a wild and afraid look in her eyes. She exposed Josie. 

"Josie?" Landon asks, his voice low, growing angry himself. "Is that who it's been this whole time instead? Josie Saltzman?" 

Hope only gulps, looking away. Her eyes fill with tears because her heart shouldn't be fluttering at the sound of her name, especially in this moment, but it _does._ She answers his question without needing to say anything at all. 

"I guess it worked then" he scoffs, "it worked, just with someone else."

"That doesn't make any of this okay" Hope spits back. This was pathetic. _He_ was pathetic. "I'm done, Landon. I can't do this anymore. Stay away from me and don't you dare even _look_ at Josie." She turns and walks out of the door, slamming it shut. She hears him yell out after her, calling her back, but she doesn't care. She can't even look at him right now.

Her arms shake with rage, every atom of her werewolf side _begging_ her to shift, and she decides to do exactly that. 

She sprints towards the back acres of the school property, ripping her clothes off as she runs. Her insides burn and scream with uncontrollable anger, the split between her human and werewolf psyche becoming nearly indistinguishable as both sides fight for dominance. 

The betrayal of her boyfriend, the split in her mind, her _feelings about_ Josie... it was all too much. She hasn't felt sane in weeks, and she just needs _release._

She runs and runs, and is nearly out of her pants when she gets deep enough into the forest, ready to jump into her wolf and completely let go. However, a voice in the distance stops her fully in her tracks and she freezes, limbs aching as they were in mid transition. Her pause makes them shift back into human limbs, the bones audibly cracking into place. 

"Hope?" the voice calls out, the body to whom it belongs lost in the dark. She looks around, searching for the voice. 

"Hope, please" the sweet voice pleads in closer proximity, and Hope immediately recognizes it as Josie's. The sound of her voice entirely extinguishes the anger coursing through the tribrid, turning her rage into concern. 

"Jo??" The tribrid looks around frantically, trying to search for Josie's figure in the dark. It was unsafe for her out here, there were all kinds of creatures and animals that could harm her, and her protective wolf instinct immediately is alarmed. Her vision grows yellow as her eyes dart around the forest, but she sees nothing. 

"Please, Hope, I need you" the voice pleads again, causing Hope's heart to drop. She doesn't know what she would do with herself if Josie was in any sort of harm. 

"Josie??? Where are you???" she yells out, her voice cracking with panic. She runs around the trees around her, searching and searching for the brunette, but still, she sees nothing. "I'm coming Jo, don't worry okay? I'm coming"

Her heart pounds faster and faster as she looks at every bush, tree and piece of grass within a mile radius, a pit in her stomach growing with anxiety. What if Josie was hurt? 

"Hey, I'm here, come to me" Hope pleads, trembling with worry. She yells out again, asking Josie to reveal where she is and her voice echoes through the forest. She's sure she can be heard all the way from the Mystic Falls town square. 

"I'm... right...." with each word, her voice gets closer and closer and Hope spins around in confusion and covers her chest quickly, fully forgetting that she is fully naked. 

Suddenly, a soft sensation brushes Hope shoulder and she freezes, not _daring_ to move a muscle. 

"J-Josie?" she whispers, and soft lips brush up her shoulder, making their way up to her neck, and then to her ear. 

"Here." the voice whispers. It's breath is freezing cold against her ear, and as it whispers against her skin, she shivers. The brittle lips continue to explore her neck and the more they do, the more unsettling the feeling is. 

"W-what are you doing" Hope asks softly, still not daringto turn around. Something is wrong, something is _definitely_ wrong. 

"Turn around, baby" the voice taunts teasingly, and Hope stupidly obliges, hoping to find the girl she's been searching so hard for. 

But before her eyes can fully take in the creature before her, a painful sensation rips through her brain and the world around her turns slowly turns into darkness. 

In the split second before she loses all consciousness, she sees a flash of gapped teeth, plump lips and the most beautiful eyes she has ever laid her own on. 

And then, nothing. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i'm sorry that this update took so long, school sucks :/ but i'll be doing my best to update more often and hopefully not in a few weeks lol. please let me know what you guys think, your comments really do make my day. thanks for reading :) ❤️ xoxo gossip girl


	7. Chapter 7

"–Hello? Earth to Saltzman?" 

Alyssa aggressively waves her hand directly in front of Josie's face, now on her 5th attempt to snap her out of whatever daydream she was lost in. Startled, Josie nearly jumps and lets out an audible gasp, prying her eyes away from the bookshelf that they were glued on.

"Sorry," she blurts apologetically, "I spaced out again". 

This earns a dramatic eye roll from Alyssa. "I know. It's the tenth time that's happened today". 

Josie frowns and begins to mutter something, until several students shush loudly at the two witches causing nearly everyone in the library to turn their direction. Alyssa only shoots everyone back with a vicious glare, and the simple action makes everyone whip their heads back into their books. They know better.

Josie on the other hand is clearly embarrassed at the attention and nervously plays with the pages of her book, looking down to avoid everyones nosy gazes.

She feels bad for constantly spacing out with Alyssa, it was the Josie's idea for the two girls to have a study session together tonight in the first place. She wanted to make up for not helping with their spell assignment in Monsters 105 class the other day. 

The truth is, she hasn't been able concentrate on anything because she's been busy worrying about Hope all day. The tribrid hadn't been seen by anyone since they had spoken in the empty classroom earlier that morning.

When she didn't show up for their first class, Josie reckoned that it was because Hope just needed time to process what she had told her, but her concern only grew worse when she didn't show up for any classes or meals for the rest of the day. 

The brunette overthinks _everything_ she had said that morning, but actively avoids thinking about how she told Hope that she wished their _moments_ together happened at the older girl's own will. 

Besides that, Josie wonders if she had overstepped by being too affectionate earlier towards Hope, a _taken_ girl. She would have never spoken to Hope that way if Landon was there, or hugged her or caressed her cheeks in the way she did. Josie didn't mean to, of course. Not on purpose, at least. 

A pang of guilt strikes the pit of her stomach– she immediately feels _horrible_ about accusing Landon of lying to Hope, fearing that she had sparked a fight in their relationship, or even worse, a breakup. No matter how much she liked Hope and was sometimes envious of Landon, the last thing she wants is for Hope to be unhappy or upset. 

As a result, Josie gets lost in her own mind again as her thoughts continue to churn, unable to ignore the feelings of guilt and worry that weigh her shoulders down. She had been spacing out a lot as is, but today had been one of the worst days. MG, Lizzie, Kaleb and even Alyssa, her _frenemy_ , had been concerned with her constant spacing out. 

The witch watches Josie with a squinted eye as she practically sees Josie trail off again. She slams the textbook in front of her shut and sighs dramatically. 

"I think we should call it a night. The library's about to close and you haven't read a single sentence since we sat down," the witch begins to pack up her things and neatly places them in her backpack. 

"Alyssa I'm sorry" Josie frowns, "I've just been feeling weird".

The witch huffs in response with a noise that sounds like she agrees, putting the last of her things in her bag before zipping it up. 

"Um... h-have you by any chance seen Hope?" the brunette blurts out of nowhere, shocked at the panic that rang clear in her tone. Alyssa was the Queen Bee of the witch faction and she knew _everything_ about _everyone_. If anything was up with Hope, she would know, and Josie sucks it up and ignores the embarrassment that comes with asking her a question so random. 

"What do you want with her?" Alyssa questions with a suspicious raised brow. 

Unable to meet her eyes, Josie replies quietly, "I just... uh... have something of hers that I need to give back".

"Hmm," she suddenly looks amused, "last I saw, she was running out into the woods before I came here to meet you." 

"The woods??" Josie nearly yells, and the remaining students in the library whip their heads in her direction once again and hiss a loud 'SHHHH'. She mouths an apology and they turn away, thank god.

The siphoner gulps, this must be bad, Hope never shifted this late on a school night. Not without telling her dad, at least. 

"Yes, the woods. You know, the one with all the trees," Alyssa says, her voice impossibly sarcastic. 

"Oh...oh okay. Thank you," Josie nods in thanks and Alyssa all of the sudden looks amused and smirks like she had just realized some juicy information. But Josie doesn't care. She just wants to know if Hope is okay. 

... 

Right after Josie knows that the coast is clear, she bolts towards the forest before the schools security cameras can catch her.

The vampires in the school had no problem sneaking out and running out of the camera frame, but as a witch, she wasn't so lucky. 

She runs until she knows she's safe and slows down, panting heavily. She slouches over to catch her breath and rests her arm on her knees as her chest heaves. In this moment, she realizes that she could have used a cloaking spell and just _walked_ , making a mental note to do that on her way back to the school. 

Some time within completely losing her breath and standing up while she catches it, she notices something on the ground a few feet away from her. The object is yellow and blue, the bright and bold colors obviously out of place in the dark ground of the forest. 

Josie walks over to it and immediately recognizes what it is– a Salvatore School issued hoodie, slightly wet from the cold and damp Virginia air. She leans down to pick it up, examining it carefully, wondering why it would be here. The cleaning staff at the school would have picked it up during their rounds earlier. 

But then, realization hits her as she remembers the entire reason she was out in the forest in the first place, and a sick feeling brews in her stomach. 

"Hope" she breathes out loud. 

Immediately, her eyes dart up and she begins to breathlessly jog deeper in the forest, finding several different articles of clothing scattered in the grass around her the further she goes. She finds a shoe, a t-shirt, a single sock... 

With each article of clothing she finds, the pieces start to come together in her mind. Josie realizes that Hope must have shifted in a hurry, not bothering to place her clothes in a neat pile at the Mill to come back to like she usually does. The older girl probably _really_ needed to shift, obviously not caring about being stark naked afterwards. Her heart drops at the realization. Hope would only do this if she was really upset. 

Her heart aches and her eyes glaze over slightly, she can't help but feel responsible for Hope being so upset. She could have potentially ruined Hope's entire relationship. She begins to go down a spiral of self blame, thinking that if she had just _not_ said anything, not told Hope anything about the drug or Landon, the older girl wouldn't be feeling this way right now. Everything would be normal and everyone would be happy... right? 

She holds Hope's hoodie to her chest, trying her best not to cry. Hope could be anywhere and she didn't want her to see her like this. 

Josie walks on for what seems like miles, calling out Hope's name but not fully believing that the girl would come to her. Why would she, after what she's done. 

Hope does not come, but just before Josie gives up searching, fully believing that Hope doesn't want to be found, she spots something, or _someone_ in the distance. 

Josie's heart nearly stops and her limbs go completely numb. _No,_ she thinks, _it can't be._

She runs to the figure who is clearly unconscious, their naked body curled up into a ball. Her insides twist and stiffen and she immediately feels sick. 

To her horror, the siphoner immediately recognizes who it is and instantly drops to her knees. She begins to tremble and pure anxiety and adrenaline course through her veins at the sight of Hope's unconscious body on the forest floor. 

"No, no, _no_ " she panics, "Hope" 

Josie drops all of Hope's clothes that she collected on her way here, and her trembling hands immediately grab at the hoodie and pants. She does her best to pull the clothes onto Hope, trying to be respectful of her exposed body, with her own nearly losing all feeling as she notices how cold the older girl is. Her lips are blue and the temperature of her skin resembles ice. 

"Hope, please wake up. I'm here, I'm here" she pants desperately. She hoists the head of auburn hair onto her lap, trying to cup Hope's cheeks with violently shaky hands. She tries to whisper a warming spell, but with how hard her hands are trembling, it's nearly impossible.

Her hands glow red for a moment, stop, but then start again. 

"Please, please I need you to wake up" she pleads, desperate for a sign of life from the tribrid. 

Josie clutches her eyes shut, trying to concentrate on taking as little magic from Hope as she can, too much and she can suck the girl dry, too little and she won't have enough magic to warm her up. 

She takes deep breaths and tries to ground herself the same way she does so for Lizzie. It takes a moment, but eventually she gains control over her senses, her heart still thudding loudly in her throat. She mutters the spell, quickly sending heat through Hope's body. Almost instantly, color returns to the tribrid's face and her body grows warm. 

"Come on, Hope, you need to wake up," she whispers desperately. 

As if on cue, Hope shoots up out of Josie's lap, gasping loudly and clutching her throat. Her eyes are blown wide and wild, and she frantically looks around, searching for _something._

"HOPE! Oh my god, you're okay," the brunette tightly throws her arms around the tribrid, sighing in relief. 

"Josie??? Are you okay?" Hope says breathlessly, wrapping her arms around the younger girl in return. She lets out a sigh as well, and her breath tickles the sensitive skin on Josie's neck, making her shiver even more. 

"What do you mean am I okay? You were the one unconscious in the middle of the forest!" 

Josie clings onto Hope longer than is comfortable, but she doesn't care. She's alive and safe, and that's all that matters. 

"Wait..." Hope pulls away slightly, her eyebrows furrowed, "you were here. I heard you" 

"Yeah, I was. I was trying to get you to wake up" Josie says, as if stating the obvious. 

"No, you sounded like you were in trouble and you were calling for me. I was looking everywhere for you" 

Josie now has an equally confused look on her face, unwrapping her arms around Hope. She rests her hands on her shoulders instead. 

"What do you mean? I didn't see you all day and I came out here looking for _you._ I found your clothes scattered through the entire forest" she tugs at the fabric of the hoodie, and Hope looks even more lost than before. 

"Jo, you were right behind me. I heard you. You were calling for help and then you came to me and I felt you-" Hope suddenly decides not to finish her sentence. Based on the look on her face, she could tell that Josie had no idea what she was talking about. 

The brunette bites her lip and crinkles her brows together; she couldn't possibly have been out in the forest. She had been with Alyssa in the library all night. 

"That wasn't me, Hope" she says softly, nervously playing with the strings of the hoodie. She can practically seeing the thoughts run through Hope's head in the way her eyes dart around the area. 

"I swear Josie, you were right he-" 

"Hey, it's fine. We can figure out later," the younger girl stops her with a squeeze, "But for now, we need to get back to school. It's not safe and it's freezing out here". 

Hope nods in compliance. Josie smiles, but a particularly strong gust of wind makes her shiver a little too hard, her breath forming a visible cloud in the air. 

Hope frowns at the action, "Here, I can give you my sweater," she offers and moves to take it off, reaching for the bottom of the garment. 

"Wait, no!" Josie shouts, a little too fast. She throws her own hands onto Hope's to stop them, and the older girl tilts her head in confusion. Josie gulps loudly with embarrassment.

"You're not wearing anything underneath," she basically _squawks_ , looking away to hide her blush. 

Suddenly, she nearly forgets how cold it is because of the blood that rushes to her face. 

"Oh... right," Hope gulps herself. 

They walk back to the school in comfortable silence. Their hands brush every so often when they walk too close to each other and both girls can feel the magnetic electricity from the little touches. However, neither of them do anything about it.

When they approach the school, Josie remembers to cloak the two girls as they walk into frame of the security cameras. A friendly good night is shared as they part ways, back to back, neither girl _daring_ to turn around to look at the other. 

Unsaid words and confessions remain stuck in each of their throats, wanting to be set free. But not tonight. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> look at me, updating quickly and shit >:)


	8. Chapter 8

In the frigid night air, Hope watches her breath form into a cloud around her each time she exhales. 

She wraps her arms around herself tightly, attempting but failing to warm herself up. She felt the cold down to her bones, even though she's a _tribrid_ with werewolf and vampire blood pumping through her veins. 

But it wasn't the cold that was making Hope Mikaelson shiver. It was the fact that she was parting from Josie, her insides aching as the younger girl's footsteps against the gravel become nearly inaudible the farther she walks away.

They had just said the quickest good night in human history, mostly because of Hope's panic closing up her throat like a bad peanut allergy. A few seconds longer and she would have completely forgotten how to speak english. 

_What an idiot,_ she huffs to herself. 

She shakes her head in disappointment, mad at herself for acting a fool in front of Josie. She clutches her body even tighter. 

Hope can't help but relive the entire encounter with the younger girl, starting to overthink everything she did and said. Her heart clenches each time through; she can't stop thinking about the way Josie clinged onto her, the way she didn't ever take her hands off of her, how her voice deepened with worry and her eyebrows furrowed with concern. 

Josie _cared._

She immediately regrets not even offering to walk her back to her room. It was the _least_ she could do after all. Josie saved her and had the decency to put her clothes back on after finding her in the forest naked. Anyone else would have just snapped a picture and laughed. 

But then again, Josie cares about everyone. There's no need to feel special.

Her mind continues to replay the nights events, muscle memory leading her closer to her room. She walks up the stairs to the quiet hallway lined with wooden doors, not needing to do much work to gravitate towards her own. 

She sighs with exhaustion while reaching in her pocket to grab her room key, but when a familiar scent fills her nose, all movement in her body stops.

The smell of roses and shampoo consume her senses, and she forgets entirely about unlocking her door and how she was freezing just moments ago. It warms her insides, heating up every atom in her body and causing every inch of her skin to tingle delightfully. 

Her eyelids become heavy and she allows them to fall shut. The smell surrounds her and she inhales deeply, her body buzzing with warmth and excitement. Josie's scent was nothing less than _addicting_ , and she more than willingly lets it take over her senses. 

The key in her hand drops to the floor, and she doesn't even hear the loud sound it makes as it collides with the wooden floorboards. 

If Josie's scent wasn't already enticing enough, it only tempts her more when she feels a breath on the side of her neck, inhaling for a few long seconds, as if taking in her own scent. A cold nose skims the skin, and the small contact elicits a small hum out of her throat. 

She hears a satisfied _mmm_ , which only excites her even more. 

Hope's eyes remain shut, seeing reds and pinks and purples dance against her eyelids instead of the usual solid black as she completely loses herself in euphoria. 

"Hope..." a voice says softly, feeling the single syllable of her name breathed against her thudding pulse point. 

A hand, feather light, skims her waist ever so carefully, but she feels the touch deep in her bones. Another hand rests on her upper arm and the careful touch makes the limb go numb. The teasing touches torture yet excite her all at once. 

She can only _hmm_ pathetically as she nearly loses balance. She doesn't dare open her eyes because she has been through this before.

Yes, she knows exactly what this is. When she opens her eyes, it'll all stop. When she opens her eyes, Josie will disappear. 

Selfishly, she doesn't want her to. 

The hands on her rake up and down her sides, still as light as ever. She leans back, arching into the touch, but the hands only back away. Hope whines in response, _needing_ more. 

"Why don't you take me back to your room?" the voice whispers cooly in her ear. 

"I uh... y- I," Hope can't even fucking speak. 

The voice giggles at her inability to speak, hands raking along her sides even more teasingly. They glide lower and lower, and slender fingers catch bare skin under her hoodie. 

They're ice cold. 

Hope's eyes immediately jolt open and before she has the opportunity to take in the sight of her surroundings, everything goes black. 

... 

Muffle voices speak over each other, sounding like dialogue under water as Hope wakes up. 

So many people are speaking at once, and she can't find the strength to even attempt to understand what they're saying. For a second, it even seems as if they're arguing. 

Her body feels heavy and her limbs stay put on the couch she is laid on, only having enough strength to move her eyes. She slowly opens the heavy lids, which suddenly feel like they weigh pounds.

At first, the world around her is blurry and she can only see the foggy outline of a fire burning steadily a few yards away from her. Her eyes lazily move up, and telling from the famous and distinct Salvatore S above the fireplace, she immediately knows she is in the library. She blinks a few times until her vision is fully focused, and in front of her, she sees that she is surrounded by Dr. Saltzman, Dorian, Emma and... Josie? 

The four bodies loom over her, watching her with wide eyes and concern. Josie, however, frowns slightly and is wringing her hands together nervously. She says nothing. 

"Hope," Dr. Saltzman sighs with relief, "you're awake". 

"How are you feeling?" Emma adds in, her tone uplifting. 

"Do you need some water?" Dorian chimes in as well, a bottle already in hand. 

Josie remains quiet, unable to meet Hope's eyes. 

"I'm okay," she croaks, but quickly shuts her mouth in horror of the terrifying toad-like sound. "Water please" she mouths. 

Dorian smiles and hands her the water bottle, and she downs it in 10 seconds. They watch her chug the water down aggressively, Dorian looking slightly impressed at her speed. 

"What happened?" she pants after she's done, a drop of water sliding off the edge of her mouth. 

"You've been out for over a day. A student found you unconscious yesterday morning outside of your room," Dr. Saltzman says. 

Hope turns to look at Josie, and catches the younger girl looking at her. She's watching her very carefully, her eyebrows furrowing in the adorable way that they do when she's concerned. 

Hope would know, that's the only way Josie ever looks at her nowadays. 

"Oh..." is all she's able to get out. 

"This has been happening to you a lot recently, hasn't it?" Emma asks, her voice low.

"What has?" 

"Blanking out, going unconscious..." Dorian adds. 

Silence from Josie. 

"I mean... yeah." Hope admits, gulping down a lump in her throat. _What if they know about the drug?_

"Hope we uh," Dr. Saltzman runs a hand through his hair nervously, "we ran a test on your blood". 

_Shit,_ she gulps. 

Out of the corner of her eye, she sees Josie stiffen up. There's a look in her eye that looks a bit like fear, and the girl immediately looks down, continuing to nervously play with her hands. 

"And?" Hope says quietly. 

"Apparently you consumed an _unhealthy_ amount of artemisia vulgaris. Do you know what that is?" Dr. Saltzman asks. 

Hope shakes her head, feeling tension grow thick in the room remembering exactly what the drug had done so far. Not only to her, but to Josie as well. _Of course_ she knew what it was. It was driving her crazy for days now. 

She decides to play dumb though, taking a page out of Dr. Saltzman's own book to avoid telling him about her hornyness for his daughter. 

"It's a very dangerous herb. When overused, you'll begin to hallucinate, have weird dreams. It completely lowers your inhibitions," he explains, and the tension in the room multiplies tenfold as she feels Josie's eyes on her. 

She stops breathing entirely. 

"Sometimes those dreams translate into real life and onto the physical plane, affecting the people around you as well, and you wouldn't even know that it's happening. Which is what I think happened to you. What did you see?" he questions, and Hope nearly _screams._

"Um, " she gulps again. Somehow, her mouth feels completely dry regardless of the bottle of water she just chugged in record time. She purses her lips together, refusing to speak for several moments. She's sure that everyone in the room can see how red she has gotten. 

After opening and closing her mouth for quite some time, she decides to give up and remain silent. For Alaric's sake and for Josie's dignity. 

"Well, regardless," Dr. Saltzman says, clearing his throat uncomfortably, "you completely overdosed on it and based on the amount of it in your system, it's been in you for _days._ Josie said she found you passed out in the woods the other night too," 

The brunette's face immediately flushes and she looks down. 

"Yeah, she did" Hope glances over at Josie, "thank you, again".

Josie looks up and their eyes lock, and suddenly, Hope feels like she's taken another dose of that damn dream drug. Suddenly, it feels like Josie is the only one in the room, her pouty lips inviting her closer, the fire lighting her face beautifully, her blouse exposing _just_ enough skin... 

"Hope" Alaric coughs loudly, snapping Hope out of her thoughts. He is starting to look _very_ uncomfortable. 

He looks at her with suspicion and then moves his gaze to Josie, "well, I also have to mention that this drug is strictly prohibited on campus and whoever is in possession of it will face extreme disciplinary action. So unfortunately-" 

"Dad! Come on" Josie rushes to stand in front of Hope, crossing her arms, "she just woke up," she glares at her father.

Hope sits back, slightly amused and flattered that Josie was willing to stand up to her father for her. She does her best to suppress a grin when Josie glances at her in apology. 

"Josette, relax. I'm obviously not going to expel my only tribrid" he argues back, eyeing her carefully. The brunette backs down, uncrossing her arms but the annoyed look in her eyes does not leave. 

"Dorian, Emma and I are going to be searching every student. Whoever is found with any illegal substances will be questioned. Hope," he sighs, "I know you wouldn't drug yourself on purpose and we will find out who did this. In the mean time," he glances at Josie with a look that does not look all too happy, " _you_ can stay here for the remainder of this period. After that, it's straight to class. Understood?" 

Josie nods, still looking slightly irritated. 

"Alright. See you girls later."

Hope and Josie watch the three adults leave the library, and once the door is closed, tension immediately fills the air. 

Hope squirms in her spot on the couch, watching as Josie turns around and looks at her with a look in her eyes that she can't quite read. The brunette walks closer and sits on the couch, a little too close, and Hope's breath hitches audibly. 

"How are you feeling?" Josie asks softly, the first to break the silence. The way she is looking at her makes Hope's heart race and her limbs go numb, and she almost forgets how to speak. 

"I um...mmm.. good" she recovers from speaking caveman for a second and manages to let out a word in english. 

"I was worried about you," the younger girl confesses, nervously playing with her hands. Hope glances at them, admiring them for _too long_ , fighting the urge to grab and hold them herself. 

"Yeah?" the tribrid gulps, "I'm okay, though" _Yeah? Who the fuck says yeah to that_ , she scolds herself. 

"I'm glad" Josie smiles. Hope only nods and returns a tight lipped smile. 

_I'm a fucking_ idiot, she thinks. She can't seem to _not_ lose her cool around Josie. 

"Did you... see something that night in the hallway?" Josie asks hesitantly, looking down at her hands. _Oh shit._

The girl looks slightly embarrassed for asking, and Hope watches her face, noticing how her usual rosy cheeks were now _red. How do I even answer that?? I saw you and I wanted to pin you against Alyssa Chang's door??_

"Did... did I see something?" she nervously laughs, but Josie does not think that this is a laughing matter. The girl simply nods, obviously wanting an answer. 

A huge lump immediately forms in her throat and her arms and legs and feet and toes all simultaneously go numb as panic takes over. Hope knows exactly what Josie's asking. She's asking if she saw _her._

"And in the woods. Before I found you, did you see something?" Josie adds to her question, her voice even softer than it was before, but lower at the same time.

The horribly timed thought of Josie's voice being extremely sexy pops into Hope's mind and she immediately shoots it down before she does something she'll regret. She gulps, trying to think of what to say without sounding like a complete _creep._

When she doesn't respond for a few long moments, Josie's face drops into a frown and the girl sighs. 

"Okay, Hope. I"m sorry." she breathes sadly and gets up, reaching for her backpack. She slings it over her shoulder and starts to walk towards the door, but doesn't make it far. Hope quickly grabs her wrist, stopping the girl from moving any further. 

"Wait," she pleads, and the brunette turns around, looking back at her with sad eyes. 

Hope closes her eyes, inhaling deeply. Her heart is nearly pounding through her chest, as it usually does when she's around the younger girl. 

"I think you know what I saw, Jo" Hope says quietly, still holding onto her wrist. 

"I don't understand.." the brunette begins, 

"you know what I've _been_ seeing _,_ "

Josie pauses and bites the inside of her cheek. She can't meet her eyes, looking down at the floor once again. But after a few long moments of silence, her backpack drops to the ground and she takes a seat back on the couch next to Hope, planting herself even closer than they were before. 

"you know what it does, Josie. The drug," Hope's voice comes hoarse, swallowing the nearly non existent saliva down her dry throat. With shaky fingers, she moves her hand from around the brunette's wrist to her hand, intertwining their fingers together cautiously.

She lets out a nervous breath that she didn't realize she was holding in. She knew this was real. If this was a dream, her and Josie would be making out and riding off into the sunset. But right now, she's holding the _real_ Josie's hand, all while trying to do her best to not go into cardiac arrest. 

Josie shudders slightly at the unexpected action as well, but laces her fingers around Hope's nonetheless. Her thumb rubs lightly along the tribrid's hand softly, completely oblivious to the fact that her touch is sending electricity through Hope. 

"I do know" the brunette whispers, nearly inaudibly. 

"then why ask, Jo?" Hope's eyebrows furrow in confusion. 

"because," she inhales shakily, "I wanted to hear it from you," 

Hope tilts her head, watching Josie carefully, looking for _something_ in her eyes. 

"I wanted to feel... wanted by you" Josie confesses, her voice shaking slightly. Hope sees her neck bob as she gulps, immediately fighting the urge to place her mouth there. Josie's thumbs continue to squirm along Hope's hand nervously. 

_What??_

"I thought if you were only seeing me in your dreams, but run away from me whenever we actually see each other, you might not really want me" she mutters sadly. 

Hope drops her hand and immediately moves it to the siphoner's face, cupping her cheeks softly. She leans into the touch softly, looking back at Hope with sad eyes. 

"Josie if I didn't want you," Hope whispers, "I wouldn't be seeing you every time I closed my eyes," 

Josie leans into the touch softly, looking back at Hope with sad and wide eyes. Her brown orbs lure Hope in like a spell, making the tribrid wonder how Josie Saltzman can make brown look so beautiful. 

"I wouldn't hallucinate you being here with me whenever I do something as simple as walking," she begins to lean forward, now only inches from Josie's face. Her arm snakes around her waist, resting on the cushion of the couch. The younger girl sucks in a breath, the small movement brushing their noses together. 

All of Hope's limbs begin to grow numb, and she can practically _feel_ the depths of her desire for Josie. Her _need_ for her. 

"I wouldn't hear your voice calling out for me when you aren't even here,"

"Hope..." Josie breathes, almost in a whimper. 

"My heart wouldn't _ache_ when I'm away from you. I wouldn't wake up alone feeling empty without you there," 

They're so close now, practically sharing the same air. The younger girl's free hand makes its way up to Hope's cheek, caressing the skin softly with her thumb. 

"Then stay with me."

Her eyes morph into a familiar yellow, and before she can stop herself, she leans in and softly connects her lip with Josie's. She makes a soft noise against her lips, allowing herself to completely give into the temptation that is Josie Saltzman. She no longer cares if this is a dream. She never wants it to end.

Their lips push and pull against each other, moving together in a slow and delicious pace. Josie's hands tangle into her hair as they usually do, each tug and pull driving Hope closer and closer into madness. 

When they both breathlessly disconnect, Hope opens her eyes, taking in the sight of Josie with messed up hair, wild eyes and bruised lips. They lock eyes, chests heaving and Hope rests her forehead against Josie's. 

"Is this real?" she breathes. 

" _Yes._ "

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> when i say gay, you say panic


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry 4 the late ass update :(

It's safe to say that Hope's new favorite thing to do is kiss Josie. The _real_ Josie. 

She's can't get enough of the way the younger girl responds to her touch, the way her fingers tangle into her hair, and she especially can't get enough of the way her full lips capture her own with fervor, fitting into Hope's own as if they were made for each other.

And something about making out in her dad's office and the possibility of getting caught adds a strange element of excitement, brewing something _hot_ in Hope's stomach. It's been over 30 minutes now, and the risk of him coming back gets higher with every passing minute. 

When the need for oxygen becomes too hard to ignore, Josie slowly detaches their lips, panting _hard and_ completely breathless. Their chests heave in sync, and Hope takes the opportunity to take in the sight of Josie thoroughly disheveled and _so_ beautiful. 

The siphoner looks back at her with pure adoration, but her innocent eyes almost make Hope feel guilty for having such heated thoughts about her.

The guilt pools in the pit of her stomach and she frowns, slightly regretting being too forward with Josie. In apology, she brings her hand up to Josie's soft cheek, cupping it carefully before leaning in and kissing the skin under her eyes, her lips feather-light. 

"What was that for?" the younger girl whispers and giggles, and the tribrid feels her face morph into a smile under her lips. 

"Nothing," Hope smiles back rubbing soothing circles onto her cheeks, "just happy this is real." 

Josie's eyes light up and she leans in once more to press a chaste kiss on Hope's lips. "So am I." 

Suddenly, the lustful bubble they're in pops as Josie's eyes go wide and her spine shoots up straight, realization dawning on her. 

" _Shit,_ " she panics, "I'm late for class." 

Hope groans, and the younger girl presses her hands into her shoulders to push herself off of her, quickly climbing off and straightening her skirt.

The younger girl's movements are frantic as she runs over to the mirror on the wall, fixing her hair that was _aggressively_ combed through by Hope's fingers. 

The tribrid can't help but smirk as she watches Josie reclip her hair to one side of her head, accidentally locking eyes with the siphon through the mirror. 

"Oh, don't look so proud. This is your fault," Josie teases. 

\- 

Hope offers to walk Josie to class, which was completely against Dr. Saltzman's orders to stay in the office but at this point, disobeying her headmaster was like second nature to her.

She fights the urge to lace her fingers together with Josie's, but makes the hard decision not to because the whole school thinks she's still dating Landon. Gossip spreading around was the last thing Hope wanted to deal with right now, but she _does_ offer to carry Josie's books for her. 

They walk through the hallways, but something is clearly very _off_ today. 

The period had begun over 20 minutes ago, yet students were out of class, running frantically through the halls with a panicked look on all of their faces. Some were digging through their backpacks and spilling the contents out on the floor, while others had their dorm room doors wide open as they shoveled through their drawers sending articles of clothing flying through the air. 

Everyone was anxiously on the move, all except for- 

"Alyssa!" Josie calls out to her friend in the crowd. The young witch walks over, hips swaying and iced coffee in hand, completely indifferent to the chaos around her. "What's going on?"

Alyssa takes a sip of her drink and Hope lifts an eyebrow, confused at her calmness.

"Didn't you hear? They're searching everyone's shit today. Apparently, there's a drug problem," her tone completely nonchalant as she twirls her straw around. 

Hope gulps and her throat bobs visibly. The action seems to catch Alyssa's attention, as she turns towards the tribrid and tilts her head, studying her carefully.

"What's wrong, wolfie? Don't have anything to hide, do you?" she pokes, and Hope wants to knock the smirk off of her face. It's no secret that Alyssa and Hope had _beef,_ if you can even call it that. 

"Of course not," Hope says through clenched teeth, "but I might have to hide a body-" 

"Heeeyyyyy, okay" Josie steps between the two girls, breaking their murderous gazes at each other, "we're gonna go now," she says to both of them, but the words are obviously directed at Hope. She places her hands on the tribrid's shoulders, holding her back from moving any further. 

"Thanks for the heads up, Alyssa," the brunette smiles at her friend. She whispers a quiet 'let's go' to Hope, who snarls at the witch. 

"Better put your dog on a leash, Jo. No wonder her bird flew away." Alyssa retorts once more and walks away, not even giving Hope the chance to get another insult in. 

" _God,_ she irritates me," Hope snarls, her knuckles clenched in tight fists and staring daggers into the back of the witch's head. Alyssa never failed to provoke her, and the tribrid doesn't know how she ever bore sharing a room with her. 

But her expression drops from anger and shifts into worry when Josie's hands drop from her shoulder and move to each of her own elbows, hugging herself softly. The younger girl's lips are now curled into a frown and she stares off into the distance, her previous protective demeanor entirely diminished. 

" Jo, I'm sorry I didn't mean to-" the tribrid begins to apologize, following the brunette's eyes. A lump forms in a throat and grows tight when she sees what, or _who_ Josie is looking at.

Across the hallway, Landon Kirby glares at Josie with his bushy eyebrows tightly knitted together. 

"Hey, if this is about Landon," Hope whispers, suddenly tasting a bitter _sourness_ in her mouth. 

The younger girl turns back towards her when she hears her voice, but her sad expression doesn't falter. 

"I think he hates me," Josie mutters, her own eyebrows furrowing, "I got him into trouble and he probably thinks I snitched on him," 

"What makes you think that?" Hope places Josie's books on the floor to lay a comforting hand on the small of her back and begins to run small circles. It wasn't the best idea to be this affectionate in public, but the panicked students around them seemed much too occupied to notice. 

"He's been... weird recently. He bumped into me super hard the other day and I turned around to say sorry and he just looked so _angry,_ " the younger girl explains, "and I always catch him glaring at me. It's kind of creepy..." 

She then moves her gaze to the ground, shifting her weight uncomfortably between her two legs, "but at the same time, what he did was beyond _wrong_ and fucked up and unfair to you"

Josie takes Hope's hands hesitantly, rubbing them with her thumbs, and Hope nearly _melts,_ "even if in some way, it brought me to you,"

"And I guess maybe some part of me is grateful for that," she mutters shyly, "is that messed up?" 

Hope can barely contain the blush on her cheeks when she looks up at the younger girl, her brown eyes melting into her like chocolate. Somehow, she no longer cares about the prying eyes around and she pulls Josie close, feeling her breath hitch against her lips. 

"No, it's not," she smiles, her breath tickling the younger girl's full lips that have since turned up at the edges.

"actually... would you happen to be interested in helping me with something?" the tribrid smirks, leaning in and _barely_ brushing their lips together. 

"Anything," Josie breathes back eagerly, unable to contain the smile on her lips, "what is it?"

Hope softly pokes the younger girls nose with her own affectionately. 

"Just looking for a kindred spirit in revenge. Are you interested?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> l*ndon boutta get clapped


End file.
